episode_0027

With Lutgen’s help, I was able to be rescued while hiding my identity.

Without any further investigation, I was transferred to a clinic and managed to escape at the right moment.

I trusted that Lutgen or Alaina would take care of things if I were to disappear.

“Does it seem like everywhere I go is full of trials and tribulations…?”

[Life is full of surprises!]

“Sometimes, things should go smoothly, shouldn’t they?”

[That’s not how life works!]

“You’re being too much.”

Casually slipping through the crowd, I made my way to the inn where Fabiel was staying.

The streets were even noisier than during the festival due to the incident at the orphanage.

Everywhere else seemed to be in chaos due to some event or another.

Not wanting to get involved with the Holy Empire any further, I walked with my head down.

Acting as if I had no interest, I pulled open the door to the inn.

Finally able to rest a bit, I found a familiar face on the other side of the door.

“How do you feel about it? It’s not a bad offer, in my opinion.”

“Well… it’s good, but I’d like to know why you’re making such a bold proposal out of the blue.”

“There’s a merchant who came from the north, unable to enter due to the Drake gang. If a merchant who can take such a reckless action comes, they should receive the appropriate treatment.”

“Haha! I’m grateful for your words, but it was all thanks to the mercenary who escorted us that we were able to take such a reckless action. We must go find the person we’re looking for, not wait for them to come to us.”

“If you want to catch a general, you should catch their horse first. And you can’t ignore the skill of the person who hired such a remarkable individual.”

Alaina was having a conversation with Fabiel at a tavern that wasn’t even open yet.

Using the privilege of the Holy Sword, she seemed to have rented out the tavern for business.

I wanted to question her about what she was doing right now, but that was only allowed when we were alone.

Externally, I was just a mercenary, while Alaina was known as the pride of the Holy Empire, the Holy Sword.

If I were to stop her actions and speak informally from the beginning, it would undoubtedly lead to a bad ending.

If that were to happen, my identity would be revealed, and my plans would be ruined.

My lips trembled, but I held back.

To appear friendly, I smiled and approached them.

“I’m back, Lady Fabiel.”

“Oh! You came just in time! This is the mercenary I mentioned earlier.”

“Oh, you’re the one from the rumors. Nice to meet you! I’m the Holy Sword Alaina.”

I nodded.

Just six hours ago, I was with her at the scene of the incident, and we parted ways an hour ago.

But that was Lian, Alaina’s former owner and mentor.

Now, my identity was a rookie mercenary, Aaron.

I had to treat Alaina as a separate person.

“It’s an honor to meet the legend of the Holy Empire.”

“You don’t have to be so formal.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

From an angle where Fabiel couldn’t see, I glared at Alaina.

I sent her a questioning look, but she was sipping her tea nonchalantly.

I couldn’t figure out what her intentions were in approaching Fabiel.

Was everything she did to seek forgiveness just a lie?

Just as doubts began to creep in, Fabiel spoke up in the awkward atmosphere.

“Oh dear! We shouldn’t bore our esteemed investor! Aaron, there’s some great news.”

“What good news?”

“Yes! Alaina here has agreed to support us wholeheartedly.”

“What specifically does she offer to support us with?”

“In addition to carefully selected horses and carriages from the Holy Kingdom, we have decided to provide identity cards that allow for the omission of identity verification procedures from other countries, as well as three months’ worth of ample food and preserved food!”

“And the cost?”

“You only need to offer 10% of your profits to the Holy Kingdom!”

It was clear that Alaina was entering into a contract where she would incur losses.

Lady Fabiel was nothing more than a common merchant.

While the profits were meager, her support was at a level that could only be provided to the elite.

It seemed that the amount spent on support was surpassing the lady’s profits.

“Quite the deal.”

Once again, the gaze turned towards Alaina.

She stood confidently, with a smile on her face, despite engaging in a business deal where she would clearly incur losses.

She was probably the only one who could smile while engaging in such a loss-making business.

“Are you sure about this? I may not be able to provide much as a bodyguard, but there might be a deficit for a while.”

“No problem. I invest based on the future. Although we are currently just a duo, we will soon grow to the elite, and even further to the top. I believe in that and have no doubts.”

“Thank you! I will do my best to repay that trust!”

Certainly, if Lady Fabiel were to rise to the elite and further to the top, the value of the investment would be reversed.

Ten percent of the profits earned by the elite was an amount that could not be ignored.

Investing in such a future without raising any objections was inevitable.

In the eyes of the public, there would be debates about whether she was a genius who foresaw the future or a great fool based on her choices.

Considering such public evaluations, what could one say to someone who wanted to invest in her?

“Haha…!”

The elite was probably just making empty promises, and it should be seen as an extension of granting extraterritorial rights to me.

She seemed to be repentant after all.

I looked at Alaina again.

“I will be looking forward to your progress in the future.”

“I will do my best not to disappoint you!”

“And I did not bring my escort knights, but may I receive protection from Sir Aaron for a while?”

Lady Fabiel looked at me with pleading eyes.

Since I had to have another conversation with Alaina before leaving the Holy Kingdom, I nodded.

Listening to her request, Alaina and I walked out of the inn.

As everyone in the Holy Kingdom would recognize the Holy Sword, she immediately pulled her hood down when she stepped outside.

“How about that? Are my favors sweet enough for you?”

“They are so sweet that my teeth might rot.”

“I should include some herbs good for teeth in the support items.”

“The apology you wanted to make for your past mistakes, was it sincere?”

“…Of course, even in my arrogant days, I always told you the truth, Lian.”

I reminisced about the past.

As Alaina said, she had never spoken a lie.

I remembered the time when I shouted that the sacred Holy Sword could not be a lie.

“I may tell lies now, but I have no regrets. There were things I regretted sincerely.”

“Even if that’s true, why do you regret and seek forgiveness? Isn’t the one who sold you to blame?”

“It’s not a wrong statement, but the cause lies with me and the other knights, right? It was the turning point when we treated Lian poorly and he was sold off. It was a consequence of our actions.”

“Usually, wouldn’t the previous owner forget and find a new one?”

“It’s embarrassing, but only after meeting a new owner did I realize my mistakes. I didn’t know that it was hard to find a knight as excellent as Lian, and I realized the arrogance of my past. As a result, I fell into self-loathing.”

“The eyes of people never change, do they?”

I thought to myself.

Thinking about the fact that I was going through all this trouble because I was betrayed by my only friend, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“I won’t deny that it’s true, but things have improved a lot now. I have quite a few decent people under my command.”

“I’ll admit that.”

Thinking back to Lutgen and the Holy Knights I saw at the orphanage, it made sense.

They were all individuals that were not easy to find anywhere else.

As I nodded in agreement, Alaina suddenly approached me.

“And above all, Lian, I realized that you are the only one who can handle me.”

“Ahem…!”

Alaina’s warm hand touching my cheek.

And her bright smile on her face made my heart beat faster for a moment.

Was I feeling nervous facing a sword?

I scolded myself for being crazy and calmed my mind.

The opponent is a sword. Unlike my master, I am not a sword fighter, I reminded myself silently.

“I think I’ve conveyed my feelings enough with this.”

“Uh, yeah.”

“So, I want to ask you now. Lian, can you accept me back as your sword?”

Alaina looked at me with a pleading gaze.

But as I am now, I couldn’t fulfill her wish.

“Sorry, it’s not possible right now.”

“Yes, I thought you would say that.”

“Even though you expected it, you still asked?”

“It’s better to ask and know than not to ask at all.”

She replied coolly, but her eyes were trembling.

It seemed difficult for her to bear the fact that she was rejected, even though she had committed the mistake first.

As we turned into an empty alley, I subtly offered her a glimmer of hope.

“If the day comes when I can reveal my existence, I will consider your return positively.”

“Ah…!”

“I don’t mean I will definitely accept. It’s just a consideration.”

“Yes…! That’s more than enough!”

Alaina, who was gloomy just moments ago, disappeared, and she seemed to be smiling brightly.

Even though nothing was certain, she seemed extremely happy.

I didn’t quite understand her reaction, but if she was satisfied, then so be it.

[Bet!]

“Bet?”

“Come to think of it, this means it’s ultimately my defeat.”

“What are you talking about?”

[I win!]

“Huh?”

It seemed that there was some kind of bet between the Iron Sword and the Holy Sword that I was unaware of.

I couldn’t know the details, but it seemed like Alaina lost and the Iron Sword won.

[Loser! Punishment! Remember?]

“Of course, I remember. I will perform the punishment right away!”

With those words, Alaina suddenly stripped off her clothes.

I couldn’t close my mouth as I watched her undress so abruptly.

What kind of punishment was it that made her strip naked in front of others?

As I looked at her in confusion, Alaina, who seemed to read my gaze, smiled mischievously.

“Lian, with you becoming closer to a sword and me being able to turn into a human, do you think we could have a child together?”

“What?”

“It’s just curiosity. Pure curiosity!”

Curiosity is one thing, but how is that pure?

Why would a woman lick her lips if she’s curious about something?

And Alaina’s gaze had been lingering on my body since earlier.

It was truly an impure and unsettling gaze.

“Just once, how about giving it a try?”

“Whoa, no way. Don’t do anything foolish!”

“Why not? If it doesn’t work out, we can just move on, right?”

“That’s not the issue here!”

[No! I don’t want to! Don’t do it!]

Alaina suddenly grabbed my wrist tightly, and strangely, her grip was very strong.

There’s a rumor that those with intentions of rape exert seven times more strength than usual, and it seems to be true.

Of course, no matter how strong she became, the difference in power between us was clear, so I could easily fend her off if needed.

However, there was no need for me to use force.

Alaina’s accomplices, the paladins who happened to turn into the alley, handcuffed her wrists with light.

“Nudity and attempted rape, you are under arrest.”

“Please come with us to the headquarters of the Order.”

“Oh, wait! I still have something to say to him!”

“We will listen to the details at the headquarters.”

“Do you know who I am? Wait a moment!”

The paladins who handcuffed Alaina’s wrists casually grabbed her arms and dragged her away, leaving the alley.

It seems like the era has come where even the Holy Sword must uphold the law.

“Rian! I may step back this time, but next time, I will definitely…!”

There was a reason why I couldn’t keep Alaina by my side.